Collar protector



1951 J. M. DARLING 2,559,406

COLLAR PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 2, 1948 INVENTOR.

(10% M Odd/27g BY 2: 54 W ATTORN EY.

Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAR PROTECTOR JohnM. Darling, Kansas City, Mo.

Application February 2, 1948, Serial No. 5,742

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates in general to shirt collar protectors andit deals more particularly with temporary protectors of the type appliedto laundered shirts having attached collars to prevent the collars frombeing deformed or otherwise injured prior to the time the shirt is worn.

Collar-supporting devices of this general character are well-known andwidely used by commercial laundries to reinforce collars so that theywill not be crushed, wrinkled, creased or otherwise collapsed when aplurality of shirts are bundled or wrapped together. They also are usedto a considerable extent in new shirts to keep the collars attractiveduring the handling that normally occurs in merchandising.

Broadly speaking, it is the object of the present invention to providean improved collar protector of this character. More specifically, it isthe object to provide a device that not only performs the normalreinforcin functions but also protects a part of the collar which isexceedingly vulnerable to injury but which heretofore has beenunprotected.

The body of a shirt can be folded into a flat rectangle and customarilyis so folded after laundering or during merchandising; however, due toits out and the way it is fitted into the body of the shirt, the collarnecessarily projects above the balance of the shirt making reinforcementthereof necessary to prevent crushing as aforementioned. Moreover,because the collar projects in this fashion the upper edge of thecollar, particularly around its forward half, is the surface most likelyto engage adjoining objects. As a result, when shirts are bundledtogether and shifted relative to one another, it is this edge that bearsthe brunt of the abrasive or wearing action. Similarly, when the shirtis packaged in a box it is this marginal edge which rubs against theinside of the box and hence is first to become soiled or worn. Againwhen the top shirt in a chest drawer rubs against the bottom of thedrawer above as a result of one or the other drawer being pushed in orout, it is mainly the edge of the collar which suffers.

Accordingly, an important object of the invention is to protect thisparticularly vulnerable region of the collar and toward this end Iprovide a lip or ledge on my protector which overhangs the entireforward rim of. the collar.

Other objects and features will appear in the course of the followingdescription of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification andare to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference.numerals are employed to indicate like parts of the various views,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a folded shirtshowing my improved collar protector in position,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the protector showing same in fiat or unfoldedcondition,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l inthe direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-l of Fig. 1 inthe direction of the arrows.

My collar protector is made of flat sheet material having sufficientflexibility to permit longitudinal flexing, cardboard being preferredbecause of its low cost and because of the ease with which it can bestamped or cut with dies into the desired form.

The form of the protector can readily be appreciated from Fig. 2. Inoutline it has arcuate longitudinal edges Ill and I2 and straightparallel lateral edges I 4 and I 6.

Extending inwardly from the opposite lateral edges along the lineapproximately parallel to the forward edge [2 are slits it which, asthey near one another, curve downwardly and then return diagonallyupward and away from one another as shown at 20. These slits divide theform into a forward band 22 and a rear band 24 connected to one anotherby the narrow tapered throat section 26. The throat section is weakenedby a short incision 28.

On a line paralleling each slit [3 are a pair of longer incisions as and32 which with the aforesaid slits define a narrow intermediate band 34terminating adjacent the throat section in a pointed tab 36; thisintermediate band is connected to the rear band 24 at three pointsindicated by the numeral 38.

In applying my collar protector to a shirt the opposite halves of band22 are bent rearwardly and the free ends pinched toward one another withthe thumb and finger of one hand until they are close enough together tobe inserted beneath forward edges of the flap 40 of the collar. Thusinserted the central portion of band 22 is pushed toward the collaradvancing the ends of the band around the sides until the entire band isdisposed flat against the neck band 42 and under the folded-down flaps453 as shown in Fig. 1. Then the band 24 is swung rearwardly anddownwardly inside the collar where it conforms with the inner face ofthe neck band; the latter operation forces the material at points 38 tofold so that the narrow band 34 assumes a position over the upper foldededge or rim of the collar covering and protecting approximately theforward half thereof.

Thus, it will be seen that my device supports and reinforces the collarto maintain the shape thereof until worn and at the same time shieldsthe forward rim of the collar. As previously pointed out, this is theportion of the shirt most frequently soiled or injured during storagedue to contact with other objects and such protection therefore is veryimportant. When shirts provided with my protector are stacked one on topof another or crowded into a carton or drawer the physical contact orpressure which otherwise would be concentrated on the narrow rim of thecollar is instead placed on the protective bands 34. Similarly, whenshirts are stored in a drawer the protective bands prevent the collar ofthe top shirt from rubbing against the bottom of the.

drawer above as would otherwise be the case. Other common instances ofsoiling or abrasion of the shirt collar likewise are prevented.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinbefore set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

Inasmuch as various embodiments of theinvention may be made withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a shirt having an attached collar, a collarstifiener and protector comprising a pair of collar bracing bands offlexible stiffening material conformable to the inner and outer faces ofthe collar neck band, a flexible connection between the mid portions ofthe bracing bands, and a pair of arcuate ledge members on the innerbracing band overhanging the upper edge of the collar on either side ofthe junction between the ends of the collar, said ledge members attachedsolely to the inner bracing band and having their adjoining ends free ofthe connection between the inner and outer bracing bands.

2. A combination as in claim 1 wherein each ledge member is attached tothe inner bracing band at a plurality of spaced points.

3. A collar stiiiener and protector for collar attached shirts,comprising an elongated sheet of flat flexible stiffening materialhaving a pair of short slits space side by side at substantially thecenter of the sheet, each slit being approximately aligned with theshort axis of the sheet, said sheet also having a pair ofrlong slitseach beginning at one end of one of said short slits and extendingoutwardly therefrom approximately along the longitudinal axis of thesheet to the end of the sheet, said sheet being weakened along a linebeginning at the other end of each short slit and extending parallel tothe long slit substantially to the end of the sheet.

4. A combination as in claim 3 wherein said sheet is weakened along aline between and transverse to said short slits.

5. A collar stiffener and protector for collar attached shirts,comprising an elongated sheet of flat flexible stiffening materialhaving a pair of short slits spaced side by side at substantially thecenter of the sheet, each slit being approximately aligned with theshort axis of the sheet, said sheet also having a pair of long slitseach beginning at one end of one of said short slits and extendingoutwardly therefrom approximately along the longitudinal axis of thesheet to the end of the sheet, said sheet having a series of slitsdisposed end to end along a line beginning at the other end of eachshort slit and extending parallel to the long slit substantially to theend of the sheet.

6. A collar stiffener and protector formed from a blank of sheetmaterial; said blank having substantially parallel, longitudinallycurved front and rear edges and comprising a front section extendinglongitudinally of the blank from end to end, a rear section extendinglongitudinally of the blank from end to end, a neck aligned with theshort axis of the blank connecting the midportions of said front andrear sections, and intermediate longitudinal sections on either side ofsaid neck extending from the neck to opposite ends of the blank betweensaid front and rear sections; said blank being slit inwardly fromopposite ends along a longitudinal line between said intermediatesections and said front section; the innermost end of the slitscontinuing rearwardly along the sides of said neck to said rear section;and said blank being weakened along a longitudinal line separating saidintermediate sections from said rear section.

- JOHN M. DARLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,149,192 Steele "Feb. 28, 19392,158,379 Peyton May 16, 1939'

